Ink fountain agitator



Oct. 14, 1952 a D, FORBE 2,613,601

INK FOUNTAIN AGITATOR Filed Aug. 15,1950 2' SHEETS-SHEET 1 llll llll Illllllrllwzlunm a I w l\ nventor SPENCER 0. FTP/Q6155 (Ittomeg Oct. 14, 1952 s. D. FORBES 2,613,601

INK FOUNTAIN AGITATOR Filed Aug. 15, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Zhwentor SPENCEQ Q ri/2655 Gttorneg Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Spencer D. Forbes, Seattle, Wash. Application August 15, 1950, Serial No. 179,450

This invention relates to ink fountains as employed in printing machines, and particularly as used in printing machines known as "offset dupl caters and machines of a like kind. More specifically stated, the invention pertains to improvements in ink agitators, as used in ink fountains, and in the agitator operatin or actuating means.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an agitator for use in ink fountains to insure that the ink will be applied evenly and constantly to the ink fountain roller, thus to maintain an even film of ink on the printing plates and to insure uniformity of density in the printed material.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive agi tator, for use in ink fountains, that may be easily and readily applied to ink fountains as" they already exist, and which can be quickly and easily detached for cleaning when this is desired.

Further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts, and in their mode of application to a fountain and in their use, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the acand agitator plate, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, perspective view of one of the ink distributing fingers of the agitator plate.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the agitator driving mechanism, as. seen from the left hand end of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings In Figs. 1 and 4, I have shown those parts of a typical printing machine known as an offset duplicator, with which the present mechanism is directly associated. In these views l and II designate parts of the frame structure between which inking, or ink transfer rollers 12 and I3 are mounted in rolling contact, and to which ink is directly or indirectly supplied from a fountain roller 14 the usual manner. The roller I4 is Claims. (Cl. 101364) revolubly supported between opposite end walls l5 l5 of a housing or frame structure which includes a transverse angle bar l6 that joins the saidend walls in spaced relationship. As observed in Fig. 2, the angle bar I 6 is parallel with roller l4 and is spaced therefrom.

Disposed flatly against the beveled top surfac of the vertical flange of the angle bar I6, is a thin flexible metal plate 20 that extends downwardly and below the roller It, substantially into tangential relationship thereto. This downwardly inclined plate, and the roller I4 coact to form a trough in which the supply of ink is held for feeding to the rollers and plates of the machine. In Fig. 2, the ink is designated at 2|, and it generally is of a semi-fluid nature and must be constantly advanced or pressed toward the roller H. The plate 20 is secured in place by an overlyin clamp plate 22. This is secured by a plurality of screws, as at 23 in Fig. 1, that are passed through the plate and threaded into the bar 16. The amount of ink fed to the roller I4, which I is rotatably driven in a direction as indicated by the arrow adjacent thereto in Fig. 2, is regulated by the accurate spacing of plate 20 from the roller surface. If left free, the plate will assume a definite spaced relationship from the roller to provide for the application of a film of ink of maximum thickness. To decrease the film thickness, the plate is sprung toward the roller, and this adjustment is effected by means of a plurality of adjusting screws 24 that are threaded horizontally through the bar IE, to contact with the under surface of the lower edge portion of the plate at spaced intervals therealong.

The means for driving the various rollers, including roller l4, may be of any suitable kind, and forms no part of the present invention.

The agitator embodying the present invention is applied to the above standard parts of the machine without requiring change or alteration of their design and mode of use.

In its present preferred form of construction the agitator comprises a fiat, elongated metal plate 25 that is disposed along and flatly upon the top surface of the clamp plate 22. At its lower edge, the plate 25 is formed at regularly spaced intervals therealong, with fingers or prongs 26 that extend into the ink supply and into close proximity to the adjacent face of roller [4. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2

' that the fingers are somewhat downwardly curved fountain, is a ratchet wheel 49. able about a pivot screw 4|, passed therethrough and secured in member l5.

'nected by means of a link 52 with the adjacent Letters Patent,'is:

faces, as designated at 21 and 21 in Fig. 3, whereby, under back and forth reciprocal action of the plate, the ink is pressed toward and against the adjacent face of the roller I4.

The agitator plate 25 is guided in its reciprocal travel by means of the heads of two of the plate securing screws 23. These heads, designated at 23, are substantially spaced apart and are containedrin longitudinal .slots 30 formed in op site endv portions of the plate 22. Coacting" with the guide screws, is a spring pressed latch 3| mounted in a housing 32 that is fixed on the under side of a central, top edge extension or flange 33 formed on the agitator plate. The toe of the latch is extended beneath the-longitudinal top edge of the clamp bar 22, as noted in Fig. 2, to keep the agitator plate in proper position but without interfering with its reciprocal action.

wall spaced therefrom and a bottom plate fixed on said wall and coacting with the roller to form a trough for a supply of ink, and a bar fixed to and extending along the top edge of the trough parallel with the roller; or an agitator plate extended along and reciprocally mounted on said bar, means on the bar for guiding the plate in its reciprocal action, a latch means on the plate normally. engaging the bar toretainthe plate in its functional position and releasable from the bar for removal of the plate from the trough,

To effect the reciprocation of the agitator plate, I provide the following mechanism:

Rotatably mounted on the horizontal top surface of the'frame member 10, at one end of the This is'rotat- The wheel is conend of the agitator plate 22, so that the plate is reciprocally moved a with the rotations of the ratchet wheel.

The ratchet wheel "is intermittently rotat- "ably advanced by means of a pawl ,44 mounted has one end pivotally connected with the outer end'of the arm, asat 41, and its other end pivotally connected as at 48, with an oscillating part of the driving mechanism of the machine, which is shown in Fig. 4 to be an arm 55, .oscillated by a link which, is connected eccentrically to a rotating gear wheel 52.

It will be understood, by reference to Fig. 1, that as the arm 45 is actuated in one direction, the pawl 44 mounted thereon will cause a rotatable advancement of gear wheel 45, and this movement, through the link 42, will cause an endwise movement of the agitator plate 22..,Repeated advance movements of the gear will result in a back and forth reciprocal action of the plate, by intermittent movements, that insures constant agitation of the ink and its forced application or flowto the surface ,of the fountain roller I4. I v I Adequate agitation of ink is effected by the fingers 26 of the plate, and these are spaced apart a' distance that is less than the extent of reciprocal movement in opposite directions so that no'part of the ink supply will be left undisturbed. The beveled end surfaces v2! of the fingers 2B operate to force the ink toward the rollersurface.

To remove the plate 32 for cleaning, itis only required that the latch 3| be released from the top edge of plate 22, then the plate can be lifted free of the fountain.

The parts are of simplified construction, easy to apply or remove and when operated as deing plate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new therein and desire to secure by 1; In a printing-machina'the combinationwith an 1 ink fountain includinga fountain roller, a

plate; said agitator plate being formed along one edge thereof with a plurality of spaced and downwardly extendnig fingers for the agitation of ink contained in the fountain, terminating close to the surface of the roller in points with oppositely beveled surfaces whereby ink is caused to be pressed againstlthe roller surface by..the reciprocal action of the agitatorplate.

2. In a printing .machine, the combinationwith an ink .fountainincluding a fountain ro1ler,. a

wall in parallel, spaced relationship.thereto,.and abottom plate supported upon said wall andextendedin a downwardlyinclined positiontherefrom into cooperating relationship with the roller to providea trough for theretaining of a:s upply of ink; of i aclamp-bar holdinglyapplied flatly against said bottom plate,'with its upperlongltudinal edge extended: above thewall,-attaching screws applied through thebar and plate into the said wall, andhaving projecting .heads, an ink agitator plate applied along-.and 'flatly against thesaid clamp bar, forreciprocal' action thereon, and means operableby a driven part of the machine for eifecting'the reciprocal action of the agitator plate; said agitator platehaving longitudinal slots formed thereinv along'its: opposite end portions containing the heads of the clamp bar securing screws therein as guides for the=plate, and a releasable, spring pressed'latch sitely facing beveled end surfaces, and said plate reciprocating means comprising arotatably mounted ratchet wheel, a link pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the agitator plate and eccentrically to'the ratchet wheel, an arm mounted foroscillating action, a pawl on said arm engageable with the ratchet wheel to effect its actuation incident to oscillation of the .arm, and a link connecting the arm with an: oscillating part of the machine to effect'the oscillation of said armand an'intermittent rotative advancement of the ratchet-wheel.

5. In aprinting machina'th'e combination with an ink fountain including a fountain roller, and wall spaced therefrom, a'bottomplate'fixedon said 'wall and coacting with the roller to form a trough for a supply of ink and a barthat is fixedrelative to extend along the said' bottom plate parallel to the roller; of any agitator'plate 1 6 reciprocally mounted on said bar and formed REFERENCES CITED along one edge thereof with ink agitating fingers The following references are of record in the extendei into ttlllle trough and hazing 1a reeasable me of this patent; la h a its 0 er edge normaly sida y and holdingly engaged with said bar to retain it in 5 g UNITED STATES PATENTS functional position, and said latch being releas- Number Name Date able for quick removal of the agitator plate from 1,615,769 Ortleb et al Jan. 25, 1927 the trough, and means for reciprocating the agi- 1,757,808 Marquardt May 6, 1930 tator plate.

SPENCER D. FORBES. l0 

